Tompkins, Cayuga, and Seneca Counties, in partnership with the New York State Department of State and Alta Planning and Design, have completed work on the Draft Cayuga Lake Blueway Trail Plan and are seeking public comment on the draft plan between now and Tuesday, November 12. (Read our story on the Blueway Trail proposal)

The National Water Trail System defines water trails as “recreational routes on waterways with a network of public access points supported by broad-based community partnerships”. They provide conservation, recreational, and tourism/economic development opportunities and are focused on boaters, especially paddlers (kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, etc.). The Draft Cayuga Lake Blueway Trail Plan identifies the existing conditions along the lakeshore for paddlers; assesses regional assets; identifies gaps in access areas, and proposes locations for short term and long-term improvements and launch sites. It also describes opportunities to market Cayuga Lake as a paddling destination and lays out a variety of possible paddling itineraries, destinations and experiences on the lake for all abilities and preferences, from day trips to multi-day overnight adventures.

Comments can be submitted through the plan’s website directly until November 12th. http://cayugablueway.weebly.com/. Comments may also be submitted via email to Tom Knipe in the Tompkins County Planning Department, tknipe@tompkins-co.org. All comments received by November 12th will be considered as the plan is completed. The Final Cayuga Lake Blueway Trail Plan will be released before the end of the year, and it is expected that a coalition of partners from Cayuga, Seneca and Tompkins Counties will begin work on implementing the Plan in 2014.

Plans were unveiled Monday for the South Shore Blueway Plan, which will establish a kayak trail through the mashes and bay’s of Long Island’s South Shore.

The Blueway stretches 18 miles from the western boarder of the Town of Hempstead to the Nassau/Suffolk County line.

The plan took share as part of the 2006 Environmental Bond Act. Planning began last year. In November of 2008, the Village of Freeport joined with Nassau County to obtain funds from a Local Waterfront Revitalization grant from New York State.

A water trail is designed for people to use small, non-motorized beachable boats like kayaks, canoes, day sailors or rowboats. There will be various launches, rest stops and shoreline facilities along the way, officials said.

A key element of the plan is sustainability, using green technologies for paths, ramps or any other item that needs to be built. The access plant will also be ADA compliant. The plan calls for interpretive and educational opportunities that will encourage understanding of the South Shore ecosystem and maritime heritage.

“The South Shore Blueway trail will shine a light on the precious wetlands of Nassau County and provide kayak access never before seen in this region,” County Executive Edward Mangano said at Wantagh Park Monday. “I am a proud partner with out local environmental organizations and municipalities to create a new jewel for Long Island.”

According to the project’s website, which you can access by clicking here, the Blueway includes two inlets, four bays, seven new access points and nine boat ramps. For a full list, click here.

The public is invited to share comments during a community forum on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. at Freeport Village Hall’s conference room. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. During the 30-day comment period, questions and comments may be submitted to info@southshoreblueway.com.

For the first time in more than a century, thousands of acres of Adirondack land around the Essex Chain of Lakes is open to the public for hiking, paddling, skiing, fishing and hunting.

Held for years by the Finch Pruyn timber company, the lands were opened for public access Monday under an interim plan by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

In August 2012, the state bought 69,000 acres of former Finch lands from The Nature Conservancy, which had bought it from the timber company. With the opening of the Essex portion, about 22,000 of these acres are open to public recreation, which permits day use, but not overnight camping.

Motor vehicle access to Essex lands is open on Cornell Road and on the Boots to Cornell Road. Cars and trucks are allowed to drive on Cornell Road from Woods Road to a gate on the Boots to Cornell Road. A parking area allows access to Deer Pond.

Paddlers may portage canoes and kayaks about a quarter mile to Deer Pond. From there, a half-mile portage reaches a put-in on Third Lake. Paddlers can travel by water to explore First, Second, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh Lakes of the Essex Chain.

Members of private hunting camps that held leases with Finch retain rights that permit motorized access not available to the public, and also have one-acre exclusive-use envelopes around their camp buildings.

The publisher of the Common Man outdoor trail & paddle guides for NY, FL and VT has had a major webpage meltdown. As a temporary sole source, the webpage at www.RogerFulton.com has become the backup and the only current online source for most of the Common Man trail guides. The only glitch is that this web page can’t take credit cards, but can accept cash, checks or money orders by mail.

Ski – Lake George

Common Man Books are a great source of trail information for Lake George, Saratoga Springs, the 1,000 Islands,and Adirondacks fire towers. Many of the links in this blog to Common Man books will be dead. Click here instead.